The Castle Road – A romantic trail of castles

The name of this route speaks for itself: castle after castle and a never-ending number of romantic medieval towns line this signposted route that runs for almost 1200 km from the chessboard city of Mannheim where the Neckar meets the Rhine to the Golden City of Prague. The Castle Road is the east-west running themed route in Germany.

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Overflowing with sagas, myths, fairy tales and legends, the Castle Route is already over 60 years old and is one of Germany's most tradition-steeped scenic routes. The route plunges visitors straight into the Middle Ages, leading them from one castle to the next, from pinnacle to pinnacle – and always on the trail of emperors, kings and princes, knights, count palatines and romance.

The castles with the best views

Over 70 castles, fairytale palaces and stately homes line the Castle Road like a string of pearls, impressive monuments to the past. At the same time, medieval towns, abbeys, sacred and secular architecture from a huge variety of eras, historic sites and innumerable cultural treasures ensure that any trip on the Castle Road is a vivid experience. Just as diverse as the region's history is its breathtakingly beautiful countryside.

Dream-like castles

An abundance of medieval masterpieces await you on the Castle Road. This route is virtually unsurpassed in terms of architecture and hospitality. Visitors can watch period costume performances at festivals amongst authentic surroundings, visit medieval markets and secluded castle courtyards, go on ghost tours, dine at medieval banquets or sample historical recipes within ancient castle walls.

The many faces of the Castle Road

Regardless of whether you decide to travel by car, bus or bike, make sure you set aside a little time to really get to know the varied faces of the Castle Road. The Castle Road also has plenty of activities for kids. The Castle Road Association (Verein Burgenstraße) will also be all too happy to help you plan your journey along the road.

أحداث وفعاليات

Friedrich Schiller was not only one of the most important German-speaking dramatists – he was also Mannheim's first playwright.

In acknowledgement of this, Mannheim National Theatre holds the International Schiller Festival every two years, at which a variety of productions from classical to contemporary shed light on the modern relevance of Schiller's writings and ideas. In the true spirit of this great poet, time is also set aside for discussions and debate.

The Festival of German Film is held in a park on the banks of the Rhine on the outskirts of Ludwigshafen.

Its aim, say the organisers, is to promote high-quality German films regardless of their box-office success. The festival also pays tribute to outstanding German-language films from other countries. The best film of the festival is presented with a cinematography award. Around 35,000 people cast their vote for the audience award.